


Cute Without the 'E'

by DoDatLikeDat



Series: Unbroken [2]
Category: DCU, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Adam and Micheal are there for Ruby, Ariaman is endgame, Canon-Typical Violence, Court sucks, Drugs, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Gets A Hug, F/F, F/M, Flashbacks, Fr tho SuperCorp is one of the best ships in this fanfic, Healing, Hurt Lena Luthor, I'm Sorry, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Kara Danvers Needs a Hug, Kara is too, Lena Luthor Needs a Hug, M/M, No Overdoses, Oh Lena is an alien, POV Alex Danvers, POV Kara Danvers, Past Child Abuse, Physical Abuse, Physiological Abuse/Manipulation, Protective Alex Danvers, Protective Kara Danvers, Ruby Too, Sanvers is endgame, Shitty Pasts, Sorry if I scare y'all, Suicidal Thoughts, SuperCorp is the best, Teenagers, The Danvers Sisters are protective, Theres so much abuse, Violence, it only happens like twice, same as Natalie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28738446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DoDatLikeDat/pseuds/DoDatLikeDat
Summary: I have had a lot of requests on whether I do a chapter or more than one chapter of Ruby's past physical abuse.This is rated M or fuck, R? It's a lot. Read the tags if you don't like it, don't read it.
Relationships: Adam Snapper/Micheal Que, Alex Danvers/Maggie Sawyer, Ash Turner/Sonny Eisel, James "Jimmy" Olsen/Winn Schott Jr., Lena Luthor/Kara Danvers, Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Querl Dox/Nia Nal, Ruby Arias/Natalie Gortman, Samantha Arias/Lucy Lane, Tony Stark/Pepper Potts, Wanda Maximoff/Natasha Romanoff
Series: Unbroken [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1860037
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Cute Without the 'E'

The Arias-Lane Household, National City 

December 26th, 2019

Time on the Oven Clock: 11:28 p.m

//

Sam waited before midnight. 

The process of a abusive relationship is one of the most day to day routine that Ruby has gotten used to though she shouldn't have gotten used to. She shouldn't the used to this. She shouldn't even be in the middle of the storm with protecting Quinn at the same time. She shouldn't have to walk over eggshells like she's about to cut her own foot every day while she's cleaning up the alcohol bottles in the trash, wiping the table with a cloth and-

Footsteps behind her as she looks over her shoulder, her hair is in a ponytail that's high on her head and a few strands out of it after cleaning after dinner, in a matching set of a grey sweater that goes past her knuckles and sweatpants on her legs. Mom. She swallows, putting the dishcloth hanging on the side of the sink top, "Hey, you okay?" Mom hasn't been the greatest herself, work has been better since she's not working in the other departments and she is the acting CFO once again like she was in Metropolis.

"Mom? Are you-"

Sam looks at her like she's studying her. Ruby takes a step back, knowing the last time it happened she.....she takes another step back until her back hits the table she just cleaned. "When was the last time you were on your phone, sweetheart?" A sentimental word? A sentimental name that her Mother just called her since she hasn't been called that in months, practically. Months. Love isn't a big thing in the house, there is no "i love you's," and "i'm sorry" and "i didn't mean to say it like that" like supportive, loving and nurturing parents say and mean it. Love isn't a thing in this house, she knows it.

She swallows, fear creeping up heels throat like snake. Sam cocks her head, looking to Quinn whose asleep in his crib down the stairs (there's not enough space for a real bedroom for him so his bedroom of his crib, toy basket and changing table next to the crib. How fancy, right? Or he sleeps in Ruby's bed.) Sam raises a dark plucked eyebrow, "How long as he been asleep?" 

"Mom, it's ten o'clock. His bedtime is at eight, remember?"

She squints her eyes, opening the cupboard beside her and pulling out two glasses. Two glass short and chubby glasses. Then pulls out a bottle of vodka. No, no, no, no, no, no- "Ah, yes. And why aren't you asleep?"

Because I'm always cleaning up your fucking messes. "I started to clean after dinner, the floor was sort of looking dirty, then I him down and I was going to get ready for bed." It's a lousy excuse, she wasn't even done cleaning up for the night and it's like not she has plans tomorrow anyway but see Natalie. They were planning, well, Natalie planned a nice little day for them and Quinn to go to the Aquariam since it will be the weekend and it's nice tomorrow. (Nice to get away from you is what she doesn't say) 

"Hmm. Lucy?" She yells, pouring two glasses of the liquid that turns the woman she once knew as a mother into a monster. "Lucy! Come on, we fucking talked about this!" She winces, looking over the balcony at the loud volume of Sam's voice to see Quinn still asleep and sound as he can be and she prays he won't wake up since it took two songs for him to sleep. (He usually falls asleep or wakes up to her singing.) "Lucy, I swear to fucking god if you don't get your ass down here-"

"Mom, don't wake up-"

Sam put a finger to her lips, all of the eye contact in the world that felt like she was looking into her soul. Lucy came into the room, in black jeans as well as a light blue button down blouse that must be Sam's, she's never been really of a girly girl, not dressing up for Sam or maybe Ruby hasn't seen Lucy i'm dresses and makeup except work clothes for her military position and at the DEO. Lucy kisses her cheek, taking the glass and swallowing the whole thing all in one. "Ready?"

"Of course I fucking am."

Lucy's eyebrows rose at Sam's sudden strong language. "Woah okay. Ruby, sit."

Why-.....She shook her head. They have never done this before of making all of them sit down and talk about something, something for Sam having to say that they talked about as a couple first then as a "family" that Sam slapped a label on their faces. Lucy isn't her Mom, she won't ever be her Mom and Ruby just wants to yell it into the clouds though it's always different with Quinn. He is her brother. Lucy isn't her Mom. There's a difference. She isn't sitting down because it's definitely not a good thing if Lucy is pouring another cup of vodka for herself and Sam is looking.....angry. More than usual. "No."

They both raise their eyebrows. Sam asks the question, "And why not?" And why can't she? Because Sam is already standing, leaning against the table, "Okay, fine. it's not a bad thing but we just wanted to talk about it to see if there's any issues, any things you'd like to say, your opinion.....you get it." Sam's hand moves and she flinches. Sam pulls out a phone, her own hand while her fingers fidget on the screen before she flips it around and it's a picture. 

It's a picture of her and Natalie. It's a fucking picture of them at the beach, she's straddling Natalie's lap with Natalie's arms wrapped around her back and kissing her cheek. It's a.....fuck, fuck, fuck, she knew paparazzi was taking pictures of them at the beach and she didn't want any pictures out until she came out. Her knees buckle but she doesn't fall, she holds into the chair handle trying not to crack under her palm. Breaths come into her mouth, fast and shaky. "It's not what it looks-"

Her Mother drops the phone onto the table at the same time Lucy takes her glass, striding over in seconds with a hand coming down on her cheek as she takes it with the shame and guilt in her chest, hard and repeating. She pushed Sam back with all of her might she had in her, wishing like it were to push Sam out of her life, out of her room, out of this fucking place and out of Quinn's life. Her back hits the counter table. Ruby's eyes widen, hands shaking while clasped, "Mom, Mom I'm sorry, Mom, please, please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to push, I didn't mean-"

Sam shakes her head, tongue clicking. "Is that how you want it to go? I actually wanted to talk to you about it but uh, if you want to fight, we can fight." She shrugs. Ruby shakes her head, swallowing with dry lips and a sort of sting on her cheek that she feels everywhere on her body. Lucy puts the glasses down, swallowing too, "Babe, it's okay. Hey, it's alright." No it's not alright. Why the fuck would it be alright? "Come on, come on let's go upstairs, we can go and just relax up there with-"

Sam turns to her, raising a hand to Lucy. Lucy has never been hit. Ruby takes a three second choice to stay in her spot and tremble with sharing a look of widened eyes with Lucy who looks to her of a sign of help despite the "its alright" speech she just gave. She dives, pushing Sam down again onto the floor as she lands on Sam's back, Lucy shrieks of the anticipation of being smacked across the face and Sam growls. She wraps her arms around her face. "You. Don't. Fucking. Touch. Me." Sam bellows, squirming out from under her and Ruby goes rock hard, only feeling her own weight. 

"Lucy!" Sam yells at her, a finger pointing up at her from her place on the floor as Lucy stumbles back from that small action, the chair stumbles on its own legs of being pushed over by Lucy's legs and the bottle shatters of being wobbled by the table. Sam looks to her as she peeks her eyes out between her spaced out fingers on her face, Sam looks to Lucy who is frozen, dry lips parted with chest heaving and looks back to Ruby. Ruby shakes her head, kicking Sam back as she tries to scramble up and run but her ankle is caught 

Bruising so hard from the contact on her ankles as slender fingers wrap around her ankles to pull her back. She screams, kicking as hard as she can but feeling nothing but thin air. Her hands rake against the brown hardware floor of the hallway before trying to get leverage of the wall but she's flipped as her ankle twists its self from the quick action and hot pain flares up her shin. She tries to fight her off but Sam takes her wrists with both hands, both of their chests heaving and tears in her eyes and Sam's body hovering over her and Lucy standing behind them, crying with earnest. "Do you think I want to hurt you?" Sam whispers into the chaos.

"You are hurting me!" She screams, trying to shake her hands out of the grip but the grip gets tighter and Sam's lips move around together before she has spit flying at her face. You have to be fucking kidding me- she does fight back this time, she can't take it anymore, wiping the silky and wet salvia off of her face with the back of her hand and Sam is on her ass, hands scratching down Ruby's legs. Sam takes ahold of her leg. "Fuck. YOU!" Ruby yells, ignoring the nail marks and blood down her legs. 

A pain blossoms against the side of her head. She pushes back, tries to push back but hands wrap around her neck, slender fingers wrap around her neck, squeezing to feel the fast pulse of her heartbeat under her ruthless palms, tightening her grip just to get Ruby to scratch at her hands and Ruby looks up. Sam, the monster shes been living with, the narcissistic, horrid and controlling person she met the past few months has grown into so much more than Sam told her she'd be. She's so much more than Ruby is and she tells that to Ruby everyday. Ruby can feel her head start to get heavy, weightless, she's being choked and she can't breathe. 

"C-can't, M.....Mom, I can't-"

"Shhhhh. Mommy's here."

"No, no- n-....I can't b- get off, I can't breathe-!"

Sam lets her go. 

A foot found the side of her body, kicking hard and she cries out, trying to push the offender away but she kicks harder, harder, she rolls away to try and get away from the pain but a foot is on her back, holding her there. She can feel her ribs and sore bones protesting as her front is pushed to the floor, pressing down harder and she cries out, tears streaming down her face. 

She flutters her eyes closed as her vision goes sideways, she falls on her side on the cold, blood and salvia streaked floor around her, her ankle possibly fractured from her Mother twisting it back, her cheek, blue and bruised and heart broken. She opens her eyes, seeing Sam leaned down to Lucy whose on the floor, a hand cupping her cheek with a lying tongue talking to Lucy and Lucy trembling. And Quinn-, Quinn is crying. She doesn't know how she didn't hear it before but he's screaming at the top of his lungs, shrieking with hiccuping sobs and she can't see his crib with the wall and staircase in her eye vision. 

She has to save Quinn, she can't let her but him, he's just a baby, he didn't do anything, he's a baby and he doesn't understand. He doesn't understand abuse. Pain. Trauma. She can't get up, this is her battle field, her heart rate is shimmering down. She can't die here. She has no injuries to kill her but she wish she did just to leave this hell called 'home'. She can't wither away from this abuse. She can't be done, she can get past this if she picks up Quinn and run but she can't even stand. 

"Get up and fight for yourself. Your worth it." A tiny, tiny, tiny voice somewhere inside of her that isn't taped together from breaking. "Come on, get up. It was a pipsqueak, small sort of voice and it sort of sounded like Quinn's. She lifted herself up on her elbows, doing an army crawl to the staircase before using the wall as a support team to lift the rest of her body up on her feet, shaky and bloody. Sam isn't done though. She looks up to Sam with a bruised eye, shut because of the bruise and a cut lip. 

"Why are you like this?" Her voice is hoarse from screaming and the fingerprints scattered over her neck. 

Sam didn't answer her, she leaned really close as Ruby shut her eyes closed, done. And then all she felt was air. Being pushed down the stairs is a first, she has been pushed, yanked, shoved but she's never been pushed down by a fucking staircase and her elbow hits a stair. Trying to fly and levitate doesn't work, she solar flared yesterday from abuse. She doesn't have her powers because her Mom hit her so fucking hard she blacked out. She can't even help herself but roll, she hits the ground face first and her legs all tangled on the last few steps. 

Screaming at the top of her lungs is the last thing she does before seeing Sam and Lucy tumble and limp upstairs, promising themselves that it'll stay between them and they'll fix the house tomorrow. She hears Quinn's screaming not too far. She can feel hot, pulsing pain everywhere on her body and she blacks out. 

//

Someone is touching her face. She frowns but the scrunch up of her face irritated the bruising and she whimpers. A coo is drawn back to her. She does open her eyes at that in surprise with Quinn in front of her, hands tapping at her face to get up, his face is wet and eyes are red from crying, his lip trembles, "Sissy," Is all he says. And it's enough to get Ruby pulling an arm around him, she's so tired, she is so tired and she can't move. She can't move, she can't do this anymore. "Sissy, up. Sissy, up. Peas'." She shakes her head, the carpet tickling her cheek under her and her joints pop as she tried to sit up. 

She falls, right on her front. Whimpering, she shakes her head. "Quinn, I can't. Quinn, go into the bed, go in my bed. Go." 

He shakes his head, he's so stubborn and she usually finds it cute, adorable, but it's not cute right now. "Sissy, up. Please." 

God, is he trying to break her heart? Sounding so desperate and he shouldn't be? 

She leans on her side first, wincing of the kicks that battered her ribs and his little hands wrap around her shirt that's soaked with blood, salvia and sweat. He grunts, little arms trying to pull her up, "Sissy, up! Not leaving." He confirms with all the strength he has and it's enough to light her whole body up as she swings her legs in front of her, his hand on his leg, tracing the bruise. She kisses the small, chubby hand, "Sissy, up. Up." He doesn't relent, pulling on her fingers and she uses the wall to lean against, pulling him along into her room, flicking the light on with a mess of fingers.

She falls again but not on him, she can't. "Sissy, please. Not Mama. Sissy, up."

She cups his cheek, swallowing. He leans into her warmth, "Quinn, can you....my phone, can you see my phone? It's on the table." She points to the bedside drawer next to her table and he tippy toes but can't reach it. Pushing an old shoe box for him to stand on does the trick as he swipes it off the table, both hands carrying it to her. "Good, you're good. It's okay, I'm gonna call Auntie Maggie, okay? I'm gonna call Auntie Maggie, it's okay."

She dials the number but she doesn't pick up.

"Maggie, Maggie it's Ruby, um, can-can you come pick me and Quinn up? P-.....Maggie, if you get this call can you text me back right away? Please, I just need to get Quinn out of the house, I got......" She takes a breath and watches Quinn, he pulls the straps off his baby bag towards Ruby, huffing and frowning at the bag since it's pretty full of clothes, diapers and wipes. He's not strong enough but he's the strongest person she knows. "Listen, call me back alright? or Alex? Please, please, p-please, call me whenever you get this."

No use. Alex doesn't pick up. Neither does Kara. Fuck, where is everyone? She opens the baby bag, picking out jeans, a black shirt of a little kitten on it for Quinn and her arms ache as she tucks a toque over his head. "You." He demands, touching his clothes and pointing to her. Getting up off of the floor isn't hard but getting dressed hurts every inch of her body, her shoulders screaming as she slips a bra over, a sweater and sweatpants. Easy to slip on and off. Easy for her aching body to move better in. The socks are the hardest to bend over for her blue and purple bruises blooming on her ribs.

She packs up a backpack of her phone, two chargers just in case, a pack of clothes, all the money she stole from her Mom's purse a few weeks ago, some of Quinn's own clothes, her box of pictures (not in time for explaining), her shoes slip on with ease and Quinn's baby bag on her hip. "Okay, little man. We have to be a little bit more quiet but we're going to go see Auntie Maggie, okay? Hold on tight to me and we'll be there in no time."

"Face."

"Hmm?"

Oh. Her face. Shit, she doesn't have time. "It's okay, we'll be super fast."

//

They were super fast. A taxi drive that almost cost her whole money in her backpack as she shoved it in the man's hand, taking Quinn out of his seat and slamming the door behind her. It's December so naturally, it's really fucking cold. The gates to get in and out of Lena and Kara's new two story house is cold, metal and heavy but she gets through, closing it as quietly as she can, putting Quinn down with holding his hand and walking up the driveway with her chest sore of all the actions though it was just walking 

"They love you, they love you. They're not Sam. They're not her. They love and know you and they love you." She muttered under her breath as she knocked on the door, twice and Quinn sucking his thumb, anxious and waiting too. She hears footsteps, the light in the hallway turns on and the door swings open of Lena, she's in black silky pajamas, her hair in a messy bun and looking fucking exhausted. Okay, maybe this was a bad idea. Lena's eyes widen, looking out the door, "I-I'm sorry, um, I, we.....um, I'm fine, I-"

"Kara," Lena almost yells but keeps it quiet as she still flinches, looking to Lena with one eye, half of her face is black and blue with bruises and Quinn is almost sleep standing up. "Come in, come on you must be freezing out here. Ruby, did you walk here? Where is your mother?"

She stumbles over her feet but Quinn's heated palm keeps her steady, leading him in but he doesn't let her hand go and she can't pick him up from her aching, tired body, "Hey, it's okay, we're safe here. Go to Auntie Lena, I can't take off your shoes for you."

"Sissy!" Quinn almost stomps his foot with stubborn tears pricking his eyes, his lip jutted out to his chin pleadingly and she can't bend down. Her own toes rub against her ankles to get her boots off with his own snow boots on and she shakes her head, he's probably more traumatized than both of have ever been. "Quinn, we're safe here. Please?" He holds her gaze for a few more seconds to make sure they are safe and okay as he goes to Lena, stern looking and angry, probably wanting answers. She leans against the wall, "I'm sorry we came here so late, I know you're probably tired with getting the company started up again and the kids-"

"Ruby, it's okay. What happened?" Lena, Lena was rescued not too long ago, she's been okay for awhile but someone just doesn't recover from that sort of situation she was in in seconds. Ruby doesn't know if it makes her feel better or better. Lena can handle more people around. She can handle going to work for four or five hours. She can handle seeing Ruby. What she can't handle is not getting answers since she can literally read minds but Ruby has some sort of power that blocks it telepathically. What did happen? Is she in some sort of illusion? As she been making it all up? Is she even here?

"Hey- what are you guys doing here?" Kara comes down the stairs, in a blue sweater and light green sweatpants with candy canes on them. That's Kara Danvers for you, a literal superhero but wearing those to bed. 

Ruby swallows, taking off her backpack to put beside her shoes, "Something happened- something has happened to me, not Quinn but he's seen- Quinn is okay, he's healthy but something has been going on, on- on at home. Can we....um, can we sit?" She offers her hand to where the living room is and Kara looks to Lena but nods, slow and unsure. Hell, she would be too. She tries not to limp but she does, trying to sit comfortably on the couch. She moves and Kara sees a blood stain from her pants. "I- oh gosh! I, oh my god, I am so sorry this must cost a fucking fortune, oh- oh shit, I'm so sorry-"

"Ruby, what the hell is going on?"

Welllll.....how the fuck does she explain this? "It'll be better if I just....show you?"

"I love Kara very much, you know."

She can't smile but it's something. "No, not like that. Here, just.....I'll explain, okay?" Her words are shaky and foreign in her mouth, she never thought she would be revising help, she thought she was going to die earlier, she thought her body would break in pieces after falling down the stairs. She thought she'd be choked to death. She unzips her heavy snow coat, putting it beside her, unzipping the sweater she through on and kicking off the sweatpants behind her as she turns to see their reactions. "M-M.....Ive been mentally, emotionally an-and, and physically abused for six months and-and I couldn't take it anymore so I ran and I ran to protect, to- to-"

Lena steps towards first, catching her from wobbly knees and Ruby pushed her away slightly, tears brimming her eyes while taking the shirt off showing her sports bra and severe bruises and fingerprints on her neck. "Sam hit me but L-Lucy never did, I promise I'm no-not lying. It's okay if you don't b-believe, believe me. I just need help." She immediately feels this weight leave her chest. Kara closes her eyes, looking like she wants to throw up and Lena has tears in her own eyes, a stubborn jaw and looking like she's going to hurt someone. Ruby's face crumbles up and so does her body, caving into Lena's for support, for love, for something that she hasn't felt in fucking months. 

//

"Would you.....would you hold me?" Ruby asked, she's in the light of the doorway in the hallway of the upstairs of the house, Lena and Kara came out of sleep of a little knock on the door and the light coming in the bedroom. The bedroom is huge, twice as bigger than Ruby's room in Samantha's house, huge with a king sized bed, a couch looking out the window and a huge walk in closet on the left and another room on the right connecting to the master bathroom. 

Lena nodded, a hand reached out to her and Ruby walked in, hesitating but she squeaked softly when being pulled down in the middle of the adults, snuggled close. Ruby's body, tense and rigid softly goes to gentle and relaxing with Kara's fingertips rubbing her temples, rubbing her back softly to not hurt any of the bruising: they took photos of the bruising, her whole body and is going to report in the morning. "We do believe you, Ruby. You're part of the family and we are so, so sorry we didn't see it before."

Lena feels Ruby swallow, nodding. "It's okay."

"I'm exhausted." 

Kara nodded, kissing her head, "Rest, Ruby. We'll be here."


End file.
